Today I’m looking back at my busy weekend and congratulating myself on how much I got done. I’m also looking at the week ahead, though, because there’s more work to be done!
QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY:
- Need to do any laundry folding or loads of laundry that didn’t get done this weekend? I had guests come over, so I have some sheets and towels to wash today.
- Look over the upcoming week – are you going to any doctor, dentist, vet, gym or salon appointments?
- Any birthdays coming up this week you need to send gifts, flowers, or a card for?
- Make meal plans for the week ahead; create grocery list
- Sniff around your house. Any bad smells you need to get rid of? (Laundry washed, cat litter box changed, pet messes cleaned up, dusty furniture dusted?)
- If you’re enjoying nightly fires, how is your firewood/Duraflame supply holding up? I need to hit the store for some more logs on my errand day tomorrow.
TODAY’S PROJECT: Prepping for Spring
I’m finishing up the last touches on my Spring home decorating project today. I’ve stored away all the Christmas/Valentine’s red curtains, pillows, tablecloths and other textiles. My dining table now wears a pastel pink tablecloth and “snow drop white” unscented candles. I picked up a pink potted hydrangea for just $5.99 at Trader Joe’s. It’s tall enough to block conversation, so I might not leave it on the table for an actual meal. I swapped out the teal colored curtains in the dining room for lacy white ones adorned with embroidered pink flowers. Red living room pillows were replaced with pink and purple ones, and downstairs in my family room, blue-and-chocolate pillows took the place of the glittery red Christmas pillows I had down there.
I’m proud to show you the results of my weekend of sorting, organizing, throwing away, recycling and donating. I was able to get rid of the contents of around fifteen storage boxes (some are nested inside each other). My cousins are moving next weekend so they’ll come by to pick up these boxes to use for their move. I’ve freed up about 25% of my garage (the other 25% is Christmas decorations, letters and keepsakes, and 50% is merchandise for my store). I feel really great about this progress, but really sad about all the books I had to take to sell at a second hand store. I miss my books already!
How are you doing on your progress on winter projects you assigned to yourself? Whether it’s making a quilt, knitting a shawl or sweater, a crocheting or needlework project, completing a painting, sorting and organizing family photos, completing a book for your book club, finishing your novel, journaling daily, or whatever goal you set, have you been able to set aside time to work on it?
I do not want to be spending sunny spring and summer days indoors doing projects. I’d rather do them during these dark and cold winter evenings, when I don’t feel like going out, don’t want to spend time freezing outside in my yard, and have a cozy fireplace to sit in front of while I do projects. I’d much rather get things done right now and have more time for the outdoors and my beautiful yard in the spring and summer.
I’m going to continue working on decluttering my garage and a couple of closets. It might be time to give up on some of my three Sterilite boxes full of mismatched Lego.. What project might you still want to work on before Spring arrives?
LOVELY BATH & BODY: Spring Hand Soaps
We did so many projects around the house this weekend, getting dirty and washing our hands often, that we ran out of hand soap in two of my three bathrooms! I’m excited to have a legitimate reason to go down to Bath & Body Works and sniff their new hand soaps. I’m most excited about Springtime & Clementines, then Peonies & Pears, and I want to try Spring Poppies & Picnics. Other scents include Blue Skies & Blooms, Sunshine & Lemons, White Lily & Lime, Garden Strawberries, and Sweet Tangerines.
New Spring Hand Soaps, at Bath and Body Works
LOVELY BEVERAGES: Spring Cherry Tea
If I do get up the energy to throw my annual spring tea party, this is one of the teas I’d like to serve. (I offer a variety in case I’ve selected a tea that doesn’t taste good to some people!) I like that it has a slightly sweet and floral aroma and taste.
Spring Cherry Green Tea, at Republic of Tea
Spring Cherry Green Tea on Amazon.com
LOVELY BLOGS: Cooking with Ruthie
Ruthie is a mom to three kids. She grew up cooking in the kitchen with her Gram and her mom. Besides the recipes and Culinary School section of her blog, there’s a large collection of DIY crafts projects. She’s currently blogging about Slow cooker chicken taco soup, chicken teriyaki stir fry, and an oven roasted parmesan asparagus that I think I’m going to make as part of my dinner tonight!
LOVELY BOOKS: Cake My Day!
I’m excited about this new cake decorating book from the authors of the Hello Cupcake book and blog. It comes out March 24. Scroll down through the Amazon listing to see a preview of the cute “Toaster cake” featured in the book.
Cake My Day!: Easy, Eye-Popping Designs for Stunning, Fanciful, and Funny Cakes, on Amazon
LOVELY FOOD: Payard Macarons
These gorgeous (and tasty!) macarons would be perfect for a spring tea party. I’m thinking of splurging on a box for my yearly spring tea, if I go ahead and throw one again this year.
Party Macarons Assortment, from Payard
LOVELY LINKS FOR TODAY:
Black Grape Lemon and Thyme Cake with Comb Honey and Yogurt Cheese (Twigg Studios)
Blood Orange Vanilla Bean Popsicles (Annie’s Eats)
Cottage Cheese Dinner Rolls (Cookie Madness)
Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake (Sally’s Baking Addiction)
Orange, Yoghurt and Olive Oil Cake (Supergolden Bakes)
What to Eat at the Airport When You Don’t Pack Healthy Food (Carrots N Cake)
